VLADIVOSTOK, Russia — Speaking at a business forum on Saturday in Russia's Pacific port of Vladivostok attended by South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, Putin said Moscow favoured bringing North Korea back to international negotiations over its nuclear programme.

Russian President Vladimir Putin urged countries to show caution when dealing with North Korea and to avoid any actions that might further enflame tensions with Pyongyang.

Putin also urged Pyongyang to adhere to agreements backed by the United Nations, but he added: "I think that any actions that would provoke further escalation (of tensions) are counter-productive."

Earlier, South Korean President Park Geun-hye had called on Russia and other major global players to increase pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear programme which could open the road for cooperation with Pyongyang.

Concerns about the threat posed by North Korea have spiralled since it conducted its fourth nuclear explosion in January and followed it up with a series of missile tests despite severe United Nations sanctions, which Pyongyang rejects as an infringement of its sovereignty.

Korea test-fired what appeared to be two mobile Musudan rockets, one of which climbed to 1,000 km (600 miles), or enough to fly more than 3,000 km (1,800 miles) down range.